By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Milan Melindo gets a third crack at a world title when he faces IBF junior flyweight champion Akira Yaegashi of Japan.

ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer had asked the IBF to place Melindo as the mandatory challenger of Yaegashi after former world champion Javier Mendoza backed out from a planned title eliminator against Melindo scheduled for last May 28 in Bacolod City.

The 28 year old Melindo , a technically sound boxer had previously battled world flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada in Macau in July 2013 and Mendoza in May 2015 in Mexico losing on both occasions. 

Aldeguer received a positive response from the IBF approving his request. At the same time the IBF ordered Aldeguer and Yaegashi's manager Hideyuki Ohashi to immediately begin negotiation for the Yeagashi-Melindo title fight setting an August 8 deadline  after which the fight will go to a purse bid if the two parties fail to reach an agreement.

Philboxing’s Dong Secuya  quoted Aldeguer who said “We have a [Pinoy Pride] date in November. 'll try to offer Yaegashi's camp to put the fight on that date but if they refuse, we are willing to go to Japan.”

The 33 year old Yaegashi (24-5-0, 12KO) who is rated No. 4 by Ring, won his first world title against Thailand's Pornsawan Porpramook on Oct. 24, 2011 for the WBA minimumweight diadem but lost it against compatriot Kazuto Ioka a year later in their WBC/WBA unification bout. He moved two divisions up to flyweight and captured the WBC flyweight world title after defeating compatriot Toshiyuki Igarashi on April 8, 2013 and successfully defended it three times before losing to Nicaraguan great Roman Gonzalez on Sep. 5, 2014. Yaegashi then moved down to junior flyweight and grabbed Javier Mendoza's IBF title on Dec. 29, 2015 six months after Mendoza defeated Melindo for the same belt.

Since the defeat to Mendoza, Melindo (34-2-0, 12KO) rated No. 6 by the IBF and No. 6 by Ring, has won his last two fights against Victor Emanuel Olivo of Mexico on Nov. 28, 2015 in Lapu-lapu City and against Maximino Flores, also of Mexico, on May 28, 2016 in Bacolod City.